Alice Ripley is getting ready to star in American Psycho the Musical alongside her Next to Normal co-star Jennifer Damiano. Now, Ripley is opening up about her time on Next to Normal and the emotional toll it took on her.

Recently, Alice Ripley spoke to Playbill about her Tony Award winning role in Next to Normal:

“I don’t really talk about Next to Normal that much anymore. but when I do, I tend to talk about how… My joke was, ‘Diana tried to kill me, but I prevailed,’ but I don’t really mean [that] to come across as negative at all. It’s only been a blessing.”

Ripley went on to discuss the toll that playing such an emotionally damaged character had on her, adding:

“I didn’t really know what I was getting into, and I thought I already knew how much I could take because I did Side Show, and that was a huge challenge -- huge physical challenge--so going into Next to Normal, I was like, ‘I could do this.’ It’s not the same thing, though; [Next to Normal was] like opening Pandora’s Box. That show is different because you’re dealing with psyche. You’re manufacturing grief every day, and after a while, your body starts to believe it.”

What did you think of Ripley’s performance in Next to Normal? Do you think you could handle of playing such a role for such a long time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.